EDIT: So the developer has made some crucial changes, and I can confidently say they've greatly improved the overall experience. The addition of colors is small enough to keep the game's minimalist look intact, but makes a huge difference in the moment to moment gameplay. Being able to easily identify different enemy types based on their colors means the combat is much more readable. Red guys are melee chargers, green guys shoot pistols, etc. Now I can not only notice but also appreciate the enemy types and how they spice up the gameplay. I can not stress enough how much better the colors and redone sprites have made the experience.
The game overall feels much better to play and easier to understand, which allows me to better focus on the core gameplay. The tutorial is also a welcome addition that further helps players understand the mechanics. Auto aim feels very OP, but I do appreciate it as a way to allow players who otherwise wouldn't be able to keep up with the frenetic pace a way of enjoying it regardless.
Progression feels a bit rough, with not enough cash coming in to allow upgrades to be bought at anything above a snail's pace, but it's very nice being able to slowly get more powerful. It's a nice balance of player skill and in-game progression
However, I still don't feel this game is really worth 3.00 USD. It feels more like a proof of concept showing the developer's skill at making fast and fun twinstick shooter combat. The fundamentals are rock solid, but ultimately it just doesn't feel like a product worth paying for. If the developer were to use this combat system and implement it into a much larger game, I'd likely be down to pay for it. I understand this is probably the most subjective part of the whole review, and I'm sure there will be people out there who think it's well worth the three bucks, but this is just my opinion on the matter.
I hope the developer continues to improve their craft, because they're on the right track towards making something really special, whether that be an intensively updated and revised version of Quoin or a new game altogether. My previous review was a thumbs down, but I'm giving a thumbs up this time not only because of the improvements in the game, but because the developer cared enough to listen to feedback and use it to craft a better experience. I'll leave my original review below for context, but this here is my current thoughts on Quoin. Very interested to see what the dev does next.
ORIGINAL REVIEW
The combat feels nice and punchy. The music's good as well, though the sudden n-word in one of the tracks was a little jarring for a game this simplistic and cute. The main problem I have is that, in the pretty chaotic combat, it's a little hard to figure out what exactly is happening. All the enemies look just a little too similar, and it's not easy to tell what's an enemy drop and what's just effects from their death. It led to some frustrating deaths where I really wasn't sure what I was looking at.
Ultimately, this is a fun little game, but I can't recommend it because honestly it feels like it should be free. There's just not enough here to justify a price tag when it feels more like a Newgrounds game than a paid release.
